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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Slavery
dark
fast-paced
adventurous
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I really love that outside of the sociopolitical themes this book addresses, there's also a hint of environmentalism in the background of this book. It's more blatantly discussed towards the beginning when we learn about the failed Terran logging attempts, also the devastation of the planet Earth, and the way the Astheans live in harmony with nature, but it's also there in the description of the world in which this book takes place. Even a character running for their life through the forrest describes the smells of old first undergrowth including the fresh and vegetal aromas and the dank decay which helps carry the environmental themes through metaphor.
There is of course plenty of socio-political themes here to about racism, slavery, power, and humanity but I'm sure since this book was published in 1972, that's already been discussed to death many times.
It's also pretty safe to say that Le Guin was in so many ways ahead of her time. And while there imagined future in this book is terrifyingly sexist, I think the main purpose of that was to further vilify the white supremcist stand-ins. Otherwise her books are surprisingly inclusive for a book published in the 70's. This is a future where homosexual acts are easily accepted and people of all races (including alien ones) and ancestry live "peacefully" together. And there's the obvious fact that Le Guin, a female, wrote all these wildly popular books; all of these things are harder to find in classic literature from this time period.
I didn't realize when I started this book that it was the basis or inspiration for the movie Avatar. Knowing that makes me possibly want to check that movie out again and reassess it through a Le Guin lense.
Highly recommend this to those who like philosophical sci Fi with socio-political themes and undercurrents of environmentalism.
There is of course plenty of socio-political themes here to about racism, slavery, power, and humanity but I'm sure since this book was published in 1972, that's already been discussed to death many times.
It's also pretty safe to say that Le Guin was in so many ways ahead of her time. And while there imagined future in this book is terrifyingly sexist, I think the main purpose of that was to further vilify the white supremcist stand-ins. Otherwise her books are surprisingly inclusive for a book published in the 70's. This is a future where homosexual acts are easily accepted and people of all races (including alien ones) and ancestry live "peacefully" together. And there's the obvious fact that Le Guin, a female, wrote all these wildly popular books; all of these things are harder to find in classic literature from this time period.
I didn't realize when I started this book that it was the basis or inspiration for the movie Avatar. Knowing that makes me possibly want to check that movie out again and reassess it through a Le Guin lense.
Highly recommend this to those who like philosophical sci Fi with socio-political themes and undercurrents of environmentalism.
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
dark
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
One of the best books I’ve read this year, and one of my favorites of Le Guin’s. The world building? Incredible. The moral duality? Flawless. I like Le Guins anger here. Read this!!
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Contender for favourite book of the year. Incredible writing with beautiful prose, and great commentary on how colonialism changes everyone and thing it touches